Feathers: The 249th Hunger Games
by Lilah32
Summary: "Life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly." - Langston Hughes. From the yellow clouds, a child plummets back to earth... Let the 249th Hunger Games begin! (SYOT CLOSED)
1. Rules and Guidelines

This isn't an official first chapter, because I don't want to spoil anything from Rapids and I'm still not sure about the Victor and stuff, but I want to start getting some submissions. I know it's pretty early, since I won't be starting this until Rapids ends, but I like to have a wide window for submissions.

RULES:

1\. This is not first-come-first-serve. I don't have a specific date when I'll close submissions yet, but it will probably take a while since it won't be until the end of Rapids.

2\. Guests are allowed to submit tributes. If you have an account, please PM me your form rather than reviewing it, but if you can't PM, then reviews are fine.

3\. There is no limit on submissions. Submit as many as you want, though keep in mind that it's unlikely all of them will be selected.

4\. No reservations, since it's not first-come-first-serve.

5\. Everything on the form under "required" is required. Including the faceclaim.

6\. No resubmissions. If they were in an _officially discontinued _SYOT, I'll accept them, but if the story is still going or has been completed, they are not accepted.

TRIBUTE FORM: (also on my profile)

REQUIRED  
Name:  
District:  
Gender:  
Age:  
Faceclaim: Yes, this is necessary. I know it's annoying to choose faceclaims, but I don't want to end up having to pick 24 faceclaims.  
Appearance:  
Personality:  
Backstory:  
Family:  
Friends:  
Strengths:  
Weaknesses:  
Weapon of Choice:  
Strategy:  
Allies?:  
Romance?:  
Reaped/Volunteered:  
Preferred Placement:

OPTIONAL  
Reaping Outfit:  
Chariot Outfit:  
Interview Outfit:  
Interview Angle:  
Token:  
MBTI:  
Sexuality:  
What do they show the Gamemakers?:  
Suggested Training Score:  
Greatest Fear:

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

\- Lilah


	2. The Tribute List

**Here is the final, _official _tribute list. It was really difficult to choose because I got so many great submissions, but I'm happy with the final set of tributes. If your tribute wasn't accepted, don't be offended! So many of the tributes I got were great, so most of the final decisions were based on how well they worked together or how many ideas I got for them. If they weren't accepted, it was likely due to bad luck and I hope to see them in another story!**

* * *

**District 1:**

Female: Mirage Fairchild, 18 - Sushii-Chu  
Male: Two Goldstein, 18 - TacoPhoenix88

**District 2:**

Female: Setsuna Kobayashi, 18 - LordShiro  
Male: Gladius Talamine, 18 - Nemris

**District 3:**

Female: Kinetica Reed, 16 - a moon with no stars  
Male: Quantum Wu, 18 - thorne98

**District 4:**

Female: Varuna Bahari, 18 - thorne98  
Male: Arty Hackson, 18 - Paradigm of Writing

**District 5:**

Female: Adrienn Lowell, 12 - Robin Ludgate  
Male: Zack Balfos, 15 - Tyquavis

**District 6:**

Female: Amber Vernon, 14 - Team Shadow  
Male: Newt Allium, 15 - Nautics

**District 7:**

Female: Erida Birch, 17 - foxfacedgirl  
Male: Sycamore Fultowe, 17 - IIJamesII

**District 8:**

Female: Ivy Nottingham, 16 - A Proud Bibliophile  
Male: Bodhi Blackheart, 17 - AlexFalTon

**District 9:**

Female: Rena Collins, 15 - TacoPhoenix88  
Male: Siro Mista, 16 - Guesttwelve

**District 10:**

Female: August Sullivan, 15 - matts0688  
Male: Corbin Fox, 16 - Tyquavis

**District 11:**

Female: Adelissa Baek, 17 - xQueen-Of-Applesx  
Male: Avens Rosendale, 18 - 20

**District 12:**

Female: Calytrix Sandspire, 17 - DragonoftheStars1429  
Male: Flake Weaver, 15 - SchroedingersKneazle

* * *

**Congratulations to anyone who got a tribute in! I tried to make it as fair as possible, but at the end of the day, some people just had better luck and happened to get more tributes in. Once again, it's nothing against you if your tribute wasn't accepted.**

**I hope to begin the Reapings soon! Although, I've already tried to write the District 1 Reaping three times and haven't been pleased with the result... hopefully fourth time's the charm! XD**

**\- Lilah**


	3. District 1 Reaping: The Peacocks

**District 1**

**Two "Bear" Goldstein**

* * *

District 1 is unusually rainy today as we walk toward Town Square for the Reapings. Despite the bad weather, we're still expected to dress up, so my sister Forest and I are huddled under an umbrella, desperately trying to keep our formal clothes dry. After our parents died, we've had to buy all of our clothes ourselves. I don't want my hard-earned money wasted on a suit destroyed by rain on its first use.

"Jesus, it's freezing!" Forest complains, arms tightly wrapped around her. I carefully reposition the umbrella so it's protecting her a bit more. "I can't understand how Four doesn't use an umbrella."

"It's good practice for the Hunger Games!" Four shouts from up ahead, his button-up shirt and slacks absolutely soaked by the rainfall. "When I volunteer and I'm thrown in that arena, I won't have access to any _umbrella_," he sneers. "I need to mentally prepare myself.'

"By getting hypothermia?" Forest asks, earning a glare from Four.

My siblings and I have some odd names. Our parents were Hunger Games fanatics who wished to raise kids to volunteer for the Hunger Games. They adopted a bunch of us from District 1's community home when we were very young and trained us for the Hunger Games. They also renamed us after numbers in the order we were adopted; One, Two (me), and so on. That's why I'm stuck with the stupid name of "Two".

Forest and I decided when we were twelve and eight or so that being named after a number was demeaning, so we decided to come up with nicknames for each other. I called Forest (then Five) "Forest", because she has these nice forest-green eyes. She called me "Bear". I think it was supposed to be a bit ironic since I was a small kid at the time. I'm currently pretty tall, but my growth spurt was later than most (a fact which Forest will not let me live down).

We call each other Bear and Forest, but pretty much everyone else calls me Two. My only other friend besides Forest, Velvetine, also calls me Bear, but I think that's about it.

"You don't have to volunteer, you know," Forest says quietly as we approach the check-in.

"Huh?" I ask. It's hard to hear her over the rain, so for a second, I think I misheard her.

"It's optional. Blade and Sparkle aren't alive anymore, so there are no consequences if you don't volunteer," she reminds me. I gulp nervously. To be honest, I never considered not volunteering - having this reminder sprung upon me now is freaking me out a bit. Our parents, Blade and Sparkle, had pretty much convinced all of us that the only point to life was volunteering - to the point where none of us even considered the possibility of _not _volunteering. Except for Forest, I guess.

"I don't know," I mumble, following the line as it moves forward.

"The Hunger Games are terrible!" Forest whispers, gaining a bit of passion. "It's just kids killing each other. No one ever comes out happy! You're either dead or traumatized - is that what you want?"

"Uh…" I begin. I don't know what to say. Forest is making sense, but will I really be happy if I don't volunteer? This has what my life has led up to. If I don't go through with it, what is the point of my life?

Before I can respond, the Peacekeeper says, "next", and I realize it's my turn. Still unsure of what to do, I step forward and allow her to roughly grab my pointer fingers. I glance back at Forest, who's watching me nervously. There's a sharp pain as the needle is jammed into my calloused finger, but it quickly passes. A moment later, I hear the electronic scanner say, "Two Goldstein," and the Peacekeeper waves me past.

_Two_. So inhumane. Just a number.

I wait for Forest as she gets checked in, and she quickly joins me. She's a lot less upbeat now that's she said her point, and walks next to me in silence. When she reaches the fourteen-year-old section and I'm about to move on, she grabs my sleeve to hold me back.

"Are you going to go through with it?" she asks.

"I… I'm the chosen Volunteer," I remind her, scratching the back of my neck.

"So? You can still choose not to volunteer. All you have to do is stay silent."

"Well… I get fined if I don't go through with it. The academy fines us when we don't volunteer," I remind her.

"But not when someone takes your place. I'm sure plenty of other kids are dying to volunteer. Just… stay silent and let some other kid volunteer. Then act all mad that he took your spot. They won't fine you," she suggests.

"Maybe," I sigh. She gives me a knowing look before slinking into the fourteen-year-old girl's section. Walking to the eighteen-year-old's section, I quickly close my umbrella. We were told they're not allowed to be open during the Reapings since there's not enough space and it will make it difficult to see the stage - a fair rule, but it will make the next half hour miserable.

I find the eighteen-year-old's section and squeeze in. I wish I were friends with some boys my age. I don't like standing alone here - it makes me uncomfortable to be surrounded by all of these guys I don't know.

Since it's almost time for the Reaping to begin, the stage is packed. Our Victors sit in a line along the back, all the way from Estella Blake (Victor of the 182nd Hunger Games) to Cecelia Hart, our most recent Victor. The stage has been protected by some sort of plastic tent roof, so none are very wet. However, none look very happy to be here.

Our escort, Astria Mebliss, scurries out to the microphone. Despite the fact she's protected from the rain, she's dressed in a bright pink poncho.

"Welcome, District 1!" she announces in her usual chipper voice. "It's quite a terrible day, isn't it? Because of the weather, the film has been canceled. Sadly, we won't get to see President Divine remind us of the Hunger Games' true meaning."

"Oh no," the boy to my right mutters sarcastically.

"We still have to go over your wonderful Victors, so let's get this over with." Astria begins to list off our current mentors at an impressive speed, getting through in less than a minute, despite the vast number of Victors lined up behind her. When she's done she breathes a sigh of relief. "Now, let's see who our female tribute will be."

Astria walks over to the female's bowl. Luckily, she doesn't bother with all of the dramatic anticipation this time. Instead, she simply plucks a single piece of paper out of the bowl. It's not like whoever's name is on there will end up being the tribute, anyway. She carries the paper back over to the mic and quickly opens it.

"Ottilie Louboutin," she reads. She allows a second to pass before asking for Volunteers. Technically, she's supposed to wait until the chosen tribute is on stage before asking for Volunteers, but since we all know someone will take their place, it's kind of a waste of time. "Any Volunteers?" she asks.

"I volunteer!" someone shouts. Everyone looks for this year's tribute and we eventually see her emerge from the eighteen-year-old's section. I've heard that the female Volunteer this year is someone named Mirage Fairchild. She's vaguely familiar, but I don't think I've met her before. Despite this, I can confirm that the girl currently rushing up to the stage is indeed Mirage Fairchild.

She's fairly short; at least a foot less than me, maybe more, and has long, wavy, platinum hair. She doesn't look overly strong, but I'm sure she has other talents. The academy must have had good reasons for choosing her as the Volunteer; she had some tough competition.

Mirage takes her place next to Astria, who asks her name.

"I'm Mirage Fairchild. But you can call me Mira," she winks - at who, I don't know. Mira giggles in an obnoxiously sweet way, which gets Astria to smile. At the very least, Mira will get along with all of the escorts.

"Let's see the boys now!" Astria suggests, and goes over to the male's bowl. She carelessly chooses a slip of paper before returning to Mira. "And the male is… Achilles Clash! Are there any Volunteers?"

My mouth goes dry.

This is my chance, isn't it? A chance to prove I'm not worthless. A chance to give my life meaning. My body seems paralyzed as I'm stuck at crossroads for what to do. The Town Square is silent as they wait for someone to Volunteer. Waiting for _me _to Volunteer.

"Really? No Volunteers?" Astria says nervously, her eyes darting around the square.

"I Volunteer!" I blurt out, pushing my way to the front of the crowd. Astria looks at me with a hungry grin, much too relieved that she got another Volunteer. With my heart pounding, I climb to the front of the stage.

"And what's your name?" Astria asks, jamming the microphone in my face.

"Uh… Two Goldstein," I say, my face turning red. I'm surprised I didn't tell her to call me Bear. I could add it in now, but she's already taking the microphone away.

"Well, District 1, these are your tributes for the 249th Hunger Games: Mirage Fairchild and Two Goldstein! Let's hope for a repeat Victory!" she announces. The crowd claps politely as she ushers us into the Justice Building.

My stomach drops when I realize what I've done. Will this be worth it?

* * *

**District 1**

**Mirage Fairchild**

* * *

As Astria steers Two and I into the Justice Building, my smile begins to fade a bit. I end up playing with a loose string on my dress to keep calm. My eyes quickly dart to Two, who is staring straight ahead with a stony look on his face. I can't tell if he's trustworthy yet. I hope he is. I don't want to be alone in this.

One of the Peacekeepers flanking us rests his hand on my shoulder to steer me into a separate room. This must be where I say goodbye to my family and friends. The Peacekeeper opens the door for me and I step inside; the door immediately shuts behind me.

The lavish room is not something I'm unfamiliar with. My own home is filled with expensive furniture such as this, which I used to enjoy. Now, it's something that I hardly care about.

I take a seat on the plush sofa, awaiting my guests. I hope my mother isn't too upset that I'm Volunteering. She hasn't shown it much in recent years, but I know she loves me and she must be worried sick right now. I nervously draw shapes on the velvet cushion as I imagine what she'll say - will she be mad or scared? Probably a bit of both. I do hope she's proud of me, though. I know she'll be proud if I win, but she might think this was a stupid and reckless choice at the moment. I don't think she knew I was the chosen Volunteer.

The door opens and I leap to my feet, expecting my mother. Instead, I'm greeted by the familiar site of Utopia, our family maid. Utopia is one of my closest friends, and she's definitely like a second mother to me. Even Mom trusts her, which is more than anyone else can say.

"Mira, why did you go through with it?" Utopia says as she rushes over to me, her arms outstretched. I immediately allow myself to fall into her hug.

"You know why," I say. To my surprise, I'm starting to get a bit emotional. "I want to make Mom proud."

"You have to be careful," Utopia whispers. "The games can be dangerous - both mentally and physically. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Neither do I, but…" I begin, but my voice trails off. My mouth is beginning to feel dry. "I just… I need Mom to be proud of me."

"I'm sure she will be," Utopia says after a moment. "Just, stay strong, alright?"

"Okay," I whisper. I jump when the door is slammed open.

"Time's up," a Peacekeeper announces. Utopia gives me one last hug before leaving. The door closes and I'm alone again. I sit back down, not knowing how much longer it will be until my next guest arrives. I'm not expecting too many people - most of my friends aren't really my friends - they use me as much as I use them, but the lack of emotional connection likely means they won't bother visiting me.

As for my Dad, I have no idea who he is. Mom has me tell people he's a businessman named Lux who's always working, but in honesty, it's just Mom and me at home. There was a time when Mom had plenty of suitors, but none of them stayed when she got pregnant with me. Mom worries that if people know it's just me and her, the image of a "perfect family" that she's taken such efforts to cultivate will be sullied.

After several more minutes, I begin playing with the loose thread on my dress again. I keep one eye aimed at the door, knowing Mom would be upset if she saw me "destructing" my clothes. But the door remains closed, for far longer than I'm comfortable with. I'm beginning to get anxious when the door finally opens.

It's Astria Mebliss. My eyebrows knot in confusion as I walk over to her.

"Is visiting over?" I ask, even more perplexed when she nods. "What about my Mom?"

Astria shrugs, and I feel my heart drop. Where's my Mom? Why wouldn't she visit me? She's been distant, but I would have thought she'd at least say goodbye to me. As I follow Astria out of the room, I snap the string off my dress.

* * *

**Our first two tributes for Feathers! I'm still not super pleased with this chapter, but I feel like it's a good enough introduction for now. Of course, all of the tributes this year are very complex so I doubt I can fully introduce them in the Reaping. Hopefully, this gave you a good enough sense of how you feel about Mira and Bear.**

**I'm not doing sponsorships this time, since I feel like it's too hard to keep track of, but reviews will help your tribute stay alive, so please do so! Let me know what you thought of these two and how far you think they'll go (based on what you know so far because it's obviously not a lot).**

**Thank you to Sushii-Chu for Mirage and TacoPhoenix88 for Bear! I love both of them so much and I have big plans for them XD.**

**\- Lilah**


	4. District 2 Reaping: The Eagles

**Setsuna is from LordShiro and Gladius is from Nemris. **

**I just finished this chapter and since it's been a while since I updated, I didn't grammar check it (I know, it's very unlike me). Sorry if there are any grammar mistakes, I really have to get better about editing my chapters.**

* * *

**District 2**

**Setsuna Kobayashi**

* * *

My alarm rings at 3:30, but I've already been up for an hour. I've been too anxious to get a good night of sleep, although I doubt I need very much of it. I can perform fairly well with little sleep, so it shouldn't make too much of an impact on me today. I get out of bed silently, not wishing to wake any of my family. They know that I leave early in the mornings to train with Gladius, but they don't like when I wake them up. Fortunately, my training in ballet allows me to be very stealthy in the early hours.

I get dressed quickly, not caring too much about my appearance. I'll want to look good for the Reaping, but I'll be returning home before then, so I won't have to worry about my outfit now. I quickly pull on a black hoodie and dark denim pants before exiting the house. The material of the clothes isn't important, District 2 has a fairly mild climate around this time of year, but it's very important that the clothes are black, or at least dark. Darkness hides a lot of things.

Gladius and I have agreed to meet at the play park, as usual. It's become our automatic location when we meet up at night, although in the day we tend to stay away. Nobody goes there at night, though.

I arrive at the play park before Gladius, but I'm sure he'll arrive soon. I prefer to be early, but Gladius is at least punctual. He enjoys his sleep, so I know he can sometimes be grumpy at this hour, but he'll get over it soon. He always ends up enjoying himself.

Waiting for Gladius, I take a seat on one of the play structures. The park is actually quite creepy; District 2 doesn't use a lot of color in design, so all of the equipment is made out of gray metal. It makes the whole place look like a junkyard for torture devices. Perhaps that's why it appeals to Gladius and I so much.

When Gladius arrives, he is as grumpy as I predicted. His hoodie is drawn up tight around his face, hiding his eyes, but I can see the scowl etched across his face. He approaches me with his hands jammed in his pocket, not looking at all as excited as I know he is.

"Ready?" I ask him.

"Yeah," he says gruffly. He has his usual duffel bag slung over his shoulder, and he hands it to me. It's supposed to be my job to carry it, since he's complained a few times that he does all the hard work, but I still think he should be the one carrying it. I'm strong, but nowhere near as strong as Gladius and the bag is _heavy_. I grunt as I struggle to pull one of the straps over my shoulder. Gladius pretends not to notice my exertion; or maybe he doesn't, with Gladius you never know.

"I think we should go over here," he announces, gesturing toward a street. "I have a good feeling about that way."

I don't complain, seeing no other possible routes. I don't think Gladius's instincts are anything special, but I'll go along with them anyway. I follow Gladius as he walks down the street at a fast pace, struggling to keep up under the weight of the bag. I have sharper eyes than Gladius, so I make sure to scan the street and alleys for anyone. It's not long before my eyes rest on a homeless man sleeping at the end of an alley.

I grab Gladius's shoulder, pulling him to a stop. When he sees the man, his eyes finally light up with excitement. He pauses before beginning to walk down the alley at what I suppose is supposed to be a quiet walk. Gladius is too large to be considered stealthy in any sense of the word, but luckily, the man is fast asleep and doesn't notice the giant teenager lumbering toward him.

I follow Gladius, one hand holding the bag tightly to prevent any of its contents from making noise. When Gladius is finally standing over the man, he glances to me for approval. I nod, and immediately Gladius jumps into action.

He swings his giant arm around the man's neck, pulling him into a tight headlock that jerks him awake. Immediately, the man begins to thrash, trying to escape from Gladius's grip, but Gladius is far too strong. Gladius pulls him closer to the point where his face begins to redden a bit. It won't be long before his face turns blue.

"Slacken your grip a bit," I order, and Gladius immediately complies. The man gasps for air deeply as I remind Gladius, "we don't want to kill him. Not yet."

At that, the man's eyes dart to me in fear.

"What are you doing? What do you want from me?" he cries. "I don't have any money."

"Obviously," Gladius mutters, but I shush him.

"What do we want?" I repeat, walking closer to him. I zip open the bag slowly before pulling out a sharp dagger. I twirl it between my fingers before tossing it to Gladius, who easily catches it by the handle. "We just want to have a bit of fun with you."

Gladius begins dragging the knife along the man's chest. He begins to scream as Gladius laughs in amusement. He seems wide awake now, just as I predicted.

* * *

**District 2**

**Gladius Talamine**

* * *

The Town Square is now full of people, but I arrived when hardly anybody else was here. After my morning excursion with Setsuna, I didn't feel any reason to head back home so I simply went to the training gym and got in some last minute exercise. The fun I had with Setsuna had gotten my blood pumping so I was able to get in a good workout before taking a quick shower and heading down to the Town Square.

We don't kill people who don't deserve it - that's not how we operate. District 2 is easily the best District in Panem, full of wealth and physical prowess and honor, so having weaklings and criminals roaming the street makes me ashamed. Setsuna and I have a duty to fulfill, which is to scourge the District of all of sorts of scum - criminals, homeless, etc.

We started a few years ago when we caught a man sexually assaulting a woman. I beat up the dude and then Setsuna and I turned him into the Peacekeepers. Not too long after, Setsuna had the idea that we do the same to every criminal on the streets of District 2. When we were chosen to Volunteer for the academy, Setsuna decided we would escalate to killing the criminals, in order to prepare for the Hunger Games.

At first, I was hesitant. Generally, killing is frowned upon. But Setsuna makes a lot of good points, and when she finally convinced me to kill a thief, the rush I got was enough to make me kill more and more with no regrets. Of course, criminals aren't the only scum that line our streets. It wasn't long before Setsuna had the idea to not only kill _anyone _who disgraces our District; at night, our streets become packed with all sorts of people who give District 2 a bad name. Druggies, homeless, whores, you know the type. Setsuna will choose the victim - always someone deserving, of course, and I'll generally carry out the kill. Sometimes Setsuna joins in.

I've heard that killing is bad and dishonorable. But that doesn't make sense, because when people kill in the Hunger Games, they're rewarded with riches and fame and honor. Why should it be any different in the District? Setsuna and I know that it's a very honorable thing to do. I see it as our duty and I think we should be recognized and admired for it. But Setsuna always reminds me that not everyone understands. A lot of people are stuck in their dumb fantasies where they believe everyone deserves life.

Sometimes I want to tell them about what Setsuna and I do, so I can convince them that what we're doing isn't wrong. It's honorable. But Setsuna is very scared of someone finding out what we do, so I keep my mouth shut. Setsuna is very well-respected in the District because of her family and music. She's a brilliant pianist and writes pieces that are admired all around the District and some are even spreading into other Districts and the Capitol. She's told me that her inspiration comes from the people we get rid of. That makes me proud, because whenever she writes a very good song, I know that I helped in a way.

If we were discovered, things would be bad for Setsuna. If everyone was too stupid to understand that we're helping the District, then we'd go to jail. What matters most to me is my honor; even if I was thrown in a jail because a bunch of stupid people couldn't understand that I was helping them, I'd know that I was right. I would still have my honor. But Setsuna's music is very important to her and if she wasn't able to write or play music, she'd be very upset. So I keep my mouth shut.

We're not in any danger at the moment. Nobody suspects the help we bring them and nobody cares about the people we kill. I've never heard anyone worried about the low-lifes disappearing. The ones we get rid of are the ones nobody cares about. They're just vermin we need to exterminate.

As the last people scurry into their spots in the Town Square, our escort finally takes the stage. I'm not good with names and since she was only transferred to our District last year, I have no clue who she is. I recognize her orange wig, though. She taps on the microphone to make sure it's working, then excitedly introduces herself. I forget her name immediately after she tells us.

"I'm very excited to find out who this year's tributes will be! I bet this District will have some very strong Volunteers," she says, not even pretending that whoever's name she draws will end up going into the Hunger Games. "Let's find out who will be representing this lovely District for the 249th Hunger Games."

Our escort makes her way over to the females' bowl and plucks out a slip of paper. When she reaches the microphone again, she reads out the name then immediately asks for Volunteers.

"I Volunteer!" a girl says from the eighteen-year-old's section. It's no surprise to me when I see it's Setsuna. We've been planning to Volunteer for several years now, and as the chosen Volunteers, we no longer have a choice.

"What's your name?" the escort asks when Setsuna reaches her.

"Setsuna Kobayashi," Setsuna says into the microphone. She smiles, but I can tell it's her fake smile. I know what her real smile looks like - it only appears when we're killing people. Her other smile is plasticy and fake. She uses it to get people to trust her. It looks real, but I know better.

"Now, for the boys!" the escort says, quickly plucking a name from the males' bowl. "Martialis Bower. Are there any Volunteers?"

"I Volunteer!" I immediately shout, stepping my way to the front of the crowd.

"Excellent!" she says, beckoning for me to join her up on stage. I jog up the steps as she asks for my name.

"My name is Gladius Talamine," I say, the moment I reach the microphone.

"You look very strong," she remarks. "District 2, give a round of applause for this year's tributes; Gladius Talamine and Setsuna Kobayashi!"

* * *

**This chapter took far longer than I intended XD. I guess I can't make any promises about updating speeds at this point, but I definitely won't cancel this story. I'm really excited for it and all of the wonderful tributes I have. Reapings are just slow. **

**Anyway, let me know what you thought about these tributes!**

**\- Lilah**


	5. Update

Hi! I just wanted to quickly talk about my status on this story, because I'm guessing most of you don't check the updates on my profile. I wanted to let you guys know that I'm not planning on ditching this story by any means. I've been slowly chipping away at the District 3 Reaping, and I'm always trying to think about plots for the Games themselves. Even though I haven't posted in months, I haven't lost interest.

The District 3 Reaping is almost ready, so it should be posted pretty soon. I can't promise that I'll be better about updating, because I promise that every single time, but I can say that I won't ditch this story. I'm still invested in it and I hope I haven't lost all of you guys XD.

\- Lilah


	6. District 3 Reaping: The Owls

**It should come as no surprise that this is unedited, so sorry if there are any grammatical errors.**

**These tributes come from Jade-Warrior and thorne98!**

* * *

**District 3**

**Kinetica Reed**

* * *

I wake up early, as I usually do on days that I'm dreading. I could barely sleep last night, since fears of the Reaping kept running through my head. I know that logically, it's very unlikely I'll be chosen. I took no tesserae this year, so my name's only in there five times; compared to the kids with their names in dozens of times, those are very good odds. However, the logic doesn't manage to comfort me and fear wins out. No matter how likely it is that I'll be safe in my own house tonight, I know that there's still a chance I could be shipped to the Capitol to die.

I turn over in my bed, attempting to get a few more restful hours of sleep before I inevitably have to get dressed for the reaping, but every time I close my eyes I just see our flamboyant escort reading out my name. I groan and pushing the sheets off of my body, giving up the hope that I could possibly sleep a few more hours. It doesn't matter too much; today is a vacation day, so I can always sleep when I return from the Reaping… unless I'm on a train.

"Stop being so pessimistic," I mutter to myself. I need to keep a good attitude rather than worrying myself into having an anxiety attack. That will happen sometimes. Dad says my imagination is too strong for my own good, which is probably true.

There's a book flipped open on the floor that I almost step on. It must have fallen off my bed last night. I vaguely remember trying to read it before falling asleep, but I don't remember a single word that I read. I must have been in a sleepy trance; despite my exhaustion it took hours before I finally drifted off. When I pick up the book, I realize it's the poetry anthology I've read and reread many times. I guess it doesn't matter that I don't remember what I read, because whichever poem it was, I've probably read it more than once.

I think my aunt gifted it to me for my sixth birthday or something. Dad refers to it as "Kinetica's Bible" because of how many times I've read it. He doesn't understand the purpose of rereading books, but I love to. I carefully set the book down on my nightstand, smoothing out the pages that had gotten crumpled when it fell.

* * *

District 3 is a fairly large District, so making my way through the crowd is rather difficult. I have people knocking into me and jamming their elbows into my sides as I attempt to get to the back of the check-in line. It's a bit annoying that all of the spectators crowd in right next to the check-in area, because it makes it difficult for us kids to know where to go. The whole process would go so much faster if we had some kind of order.

When I finally make it to the front of the line, the Peacekeeper seems stressed, which is obvious, even though he wears the helmet that hides all of his expressions. When he asks for my hand, he seems almost desperate, so I allow him to jam the needle into my finger without any complaint. He presses my finger onto a page of his little check-in book, getting a spot of my blood.

"Kinetica Reed," the scanner device reads, and the Peacekeeper waves me past.

I walk along the aisle to the sixteen-year-olds section, which is thankfully a bit less chaotic. I'm hoping I'll be able to find one of my friends, because they always allow the Reaping to be a little more bearable.

When I reach the sixteen-year-olds section, I don't immediately see anybody I know, which disappoints me a bit. I slide into my group, staying near the aisle so I can leave as soon as the Reaping ends rather than dealing with the huge procession of exiting the pen.

I'm guessing it's about exactly the time when the reaping begins when our escort, Blick Newter, makes his way up to the microphone. Blick really likes bright neon colors, usually electric blue, but this year he seems to have gone with a green aesthetic, sporting a bright lime-green tuxedo and even brighter green hair.

"Welcome, District 3, to the 249th Hunger Games. This year, I have a very good feeling about our tributes. One of you guys will win the Hunger Games! Are you excited? I definitely am. We've had some great tributes in the last few years, but none of them have secured a win. This year it will be one of you. I am _sure_ of it.

"Now before we find out who will be representing your… lovely District, let's go over your previous Victors. I've gotten to know them very well over the past several years, and I can say with certainty that they're… great people. A bit of a drab fashion sense, but they're cool."

Blick then begins to go over all five of our previous Victors, going into a little too much detail about how they won their games. All of us just want to get the Reaping over with, and yet Blick insists on dragging out the ceremony each year. When he decides he's talked about each of the Victors enough, he shows us the iconic film reminding us of the true nature of the Hunger Games. They always have the President narrate it, so this year we have President Divine narrating the video. He takes a much different approach than President Chorley, who could barely restrain from giggling as he talked about war and children dying.

"Isn't that inspiring?" Blick asks when we've watched the full video. "I suppose we should get to the drawing of the names now. I have a really good feeling about this year."

It's been about twenty years since we had a Victor come from our District. At this point, we've pretty much accepted that getting your name drawn is a death warrant. Nobody expects any of our tributes to come out alive.

"How about we choose a female first?" Blick suggests, already walking over the girls' bowl. As usual, he draws it out. He selects a slip of paper, seeming very pleased with its potential. When he gets back to the microphone, he reads out the name almost immediately.

"Kinetica Reed."

* * *

**District 3**

**Quantum Wu**

* * *

I watch as the girl walks up to the stage, looking understandably shocked and dazed. I feel some pity for her, but breathe a sigh of relief that it wasn't my girlfriend Vincia who was selected. We're both eighteen, so this will be our last Reaping. Vincia's officially free, and so will I in a couple of minutes. The girl clutches the sleeves of her blouse with obvious fear as she takes her place next to the escort. I've already forgotten her name, but I'm sure it will be advertised across the District for the next month before her imminent death.

"Are there any Volunteers?" Blick asks with a smile, but no one speaks up. It's not surprising; I can't even remember the last time District 3 had a Volunteer. We all know that whoever goes into the games will die, and nobody will risk that. Neither Blick nor the girl look surprised that no one spoke up, but they seem disappointed nonetheless.

"Is there anything you want to say?" asks Blick as he shoves his microphone into the poor girl's face. She shakes her head politely, and Blick moves on. "Now let's find out who will be joining this lovely girl as the male tribute for District 3!"

Blick walks over to the male bowl, and I feel my breath catch as he reaches his hand in. He chooses a slip of paper and waves it around with a little too much flourish.

"This feels like a Victor!" Blick says as he opens up the paper. "Quantum Reed."

I almost don't register that the name is my own. My mouth drops open as everyone turns to look at me. A few of my classmates give me sympathetic looks, but I know that they're just relieved it's not them. I walk up to the stage quickly, barely aware of where my feet are taking me. My heart is pounding in my ears.

"Wonderful!" Blick says and I notice I'm already on stage. "Are there any Volunteers?"

I already know that no one will say anything. I scan the crowd to try and spot Vincia, but I can't find her.

"No? In that case, we have your tributes for the 249th Hunger Games! Give a warm round of applause for Quantum Wu and Kinetica Reed! Shake hands, you two."

The crowd claps politely as I turn to Kinetica. I reach out my hand and she gently shakes it. I know we're both thinking the same thing right now; we're both going to die.

* * *

The room I'm sitting in a room far more extravagant than I'm used to. My own home is in a pretty lousy section of the District. Even though our neighborhood is filled with morphine-addicts and thieves, it's better than when we lived with my dad. At least I no longer have to hear him shouting abuse at my mom late into the night or banging on my door because he wants me to run some errand and get him more alcohol.

Even the sofa I'm sitting on is probably hundreds of dollars more than the one at home, I'd give anything to be back at my house with my mom. In an attempt to pass time and perhaps make myself feel better, I internally criticize all of the objects in this room.

_The sofa is too soft. It's uncomfortable to sit on. The crimson wallpaper looks the color of blood. The clock on the wall has the wrong time. The lace on the carpet is hideous._

"Wow, I could be an interior designer," I joke under my breath. I burst into laughter at the absurdity of my situation. How could this have happened to me? I took tesserae of course, but the odds were still stacked immensely in my favor. District 3 is a large District; statistically, I should have been fine.

The mahogany door opens. I hear a Peacekeeper tell me I have only three minutes, and then I have the wind knocked out of me as someone barrels into me. It doesn't take long to realize that it's Vincia who's hugging me; I immediately recognize the scent of her hair, which is pressed into my face. It's a bit difficult to breathe, but I don't mind because the feeling of Vincia's arms around me provides me with so much comfort.

When she parts from me, I can see tears fogging up her glasses. I haven't cried yet but I'm suddenly hit with a wave of emotion. It didn't get real until I saw how afraid Vincia was. Vincia, who's always so brave and tough, is crying. And that really hit me hard.

"You have to survive," she tells me in a choked voice. "Please."

"I'll try," I say.

"No! You can't just 'try'. You have to."

"I-"

"Do whatever you need to in order to win! You're smart, you're resourceful, you… you can do this."

I give her a sad smile. "Vincia, no one from District 3 has won in a long time. I'll do my best, but I can't promise anything. If I don't come home, please move on. I know that we had a lot of plans and stuff, but… I don't think that's gonna happen anymore. So… try to stay realistic. You're good at that." Vincia shakes her head in denial. "And take care of my Mom, please. I know she's going to be really upset so look after her, okay?"

"I will. But you _are _coming home, Quantum," Vincia whispers. She clumsily removes an earring and presses it into my hand. "For your token. It's a bit sharp, so it might not be allowed but… but if it is allowed, keep it with you. Please?"

"Okay," I say. "I'll miss you."

Vincia hugs me again. "You'd better come back. I love you. You know you're the only person who understands me. I know if you… if you don't come back, you want me to move on. But I can't. Because there's no one like you. I can talk to you and-"

A Peacekeeper bursts in.

"Time's up," he says gruffly, beckoning for Vincia to leave. Instead of leaving, she clutches to me tightly.

"You have to go," I tell her in a choked voice, but she hugs me tighter.

"Please come back," she whispers before the Peacekeeper walks over and yanks her off me. He leads her out of the room, and this time she obliges. The door slams shut behind them.

In my heart, I know I'll never see Vincia again. No matter how much she wants me to, I won't be able to come home. I look at the earring in the palm of my hand and clench my hand around it tightly. I will do whatever it takes to win this game.

* * *

**So… yeah, a bit of a late update. I've been working on this for a while, slowly chipping away at it. My concept of time is starting to dissipate so I've gotten really bad at remembering to work on this chapter. But it's finally done, and I'm somewhat happy with it. I don't think either of these amazing characters got the cool introduction they deserved, but you'll see more of them.**

**Thank you to the submitters. I'm excited for both of these tributes and I think they have a lot of potential XD. Let me know what you thought of them. Hopefully the District 4 Reaping will be up soon, but let's not kid ourselves...**

**\- Lilah**


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